The King of Carrot Flowers - A Larry Stylinson AU
by boo.sadly
Summary: The King and Queen have arranged for their son, Prince Louis, to be married within a month's time to Eleanor, a young Berkshire girl. With no choice, the Prince agrees to the arrangement and soon decides that perhaps an arranged marriage isn't so bad after all. That is, until a certain curly-haired boy is hired as Windsor Castle's new gardener.
1. Prologue

_Summary: __Arranged marriage (noun) - A marriage planned and agreed to by the families or guardians of the bride and groom, who have little or no say in the matter themselves._

_After a long search for the most beautiful woman in the land, England's royal family is preparing for a momentous occasion. The King and Queen have arranged for their son, Prince Louis, to be married within a month's time to Eleanor, a young Berkshire girl, born and raised. With no choice, the Prince agrees to the arrangement and soon decides that perhaps an arranged marriage isn't so bad after all. That is, until a certain curly-haired boy is hired as Windsor Castle's new gardener._

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**I'd like to dedicate this fanfiction to my Uncle Dan Dan. May he rest in peace.**

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**Prologue:**

Skeptically, King Troy inspected the woman before him. The woman shifted her weight uneasily, flicking a wavy lock of hair from her shoulder. "Are you sure this is the one, my dear?" King Troy asked his Queen, turning his gaze upon her majesty.

"Positive," she nodded with an ecstatic grin. Walking briskly over to the girl, she motioned for her to spin around as she had done earlier. The woman nodded in understanding before twirling around, gracefully. As she spun, the girl's chocolate brown hair moved accordingly and once again, she was facing the older woman. "What's your name again, Miss?" Queen Jay questioned, finishing her once-over.

Straightening up a bit, the woman cleared her throat quietly and then spoke, "My name is Eleanor, your majesty. Eleanor Calder." Out of habit, Eleanor removed another lock of hair from her face and smiled nervously at the royal couple.

Queen Jay reciprocated the gentle expression before returning to her husband, King Troy's, side. "He'll love her," she finished. Immediately, the nerves left Eleanor's features and her brown eyes lit up with joy.

He ran a hand through his hair, still unsure of the woman before him. Eleanor hadn't come off as malicious or phony, and as far as he could tell she had natural beauty. In fact, the young brunette seemed like a fine choice, but King Troy knew his son well, and was finding it difficult the nagging uncertainty within him. Tearing his eyes from the girl, he glanced over at his wife who was biting her lip in order to repress an excited smile. The King's troubled expression softened some as his eyes were met with his wife's. He sighed, nodding in approval of the young woman. "Very well then," he mumbled.

"Terrific!" the Queen uttered as she clapped her hands together. Eleanor looked from the King to the Queen, standing before them awkwardly. Queen Jay threw open her arms, causing Eleanor to flinch which only made Jay chuckle. "Don't be shy darling!"

Eleanor's pink lips curled upward, revealing perfect teeth. She quickly made her way into the Queen's arms, wrapping her own around the older woman. "Thank you so much!" she said, hugging the Queen, but locking eyes with King Troy.

Eleanor observed that the King was visibly tense as his fingers found and pinched the bridge of his nose. Clenching his eyes shut, the man's old age became apparent to the girl as her brown-eyes traced over the King's features. Gray strands normally hidden within the King's chestnut mane now shimmered in the light streaming in from a nearby window, and the wrinkles that were hardly noticeable moments before had suddenly become more prominent.

Pulling away from Eleanor, Queen Jay gave the young woman's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "This is excellent! Oh, we have so much planning to do!" Jay exclaimed, finally releasing Eleanor from her grasp. King Troy's head shot up causing both Eleanor and the Queen to direct their attention onto his majesty. "Is something wrong, my love?" Queen Jay asked, moving over to her husband and cupping his face.

The King nodded slowly, relaxing at his wife's gesture. Carefully, he placed his large hands lightly over his Queen's and smiled. "Yes, dear. Everything is quite alright," he assured, moving a stray hair from her cheek. "Though, isn't it about time that we introduce our son to this lovely girl?" he asked, motioning toward Eleanor. The young brunette's face flushed at the royal compliment.

Jay's eyes widened and she threw her hands up in disbelief. "Why yes, of course! How silly of me," she giggled. The Queen turned to face Eleanor before continuing, "Eleanor, darling, won't you join us for dinner this evening?"

"I'd love to, your majesty! It would be an honor," Eleanor replied, placing a hand over her heart.

"Then it's settled," the King said pleasantly, lifting a small bell from a tiny end table. Moments later, a loud, but beautiful chime traveled throughout the occupied living room. The ringing didn't last for more than a few seconds when the heavy wooden doors swung open, allowing King Troy to take off, and revealing two people who appeared to be very different aside from one thing – their black and white uniforms.

The first to enter, by a measly nanosecond, was a woman who looked no older than Eleanor, herself. The next, was a man who appeared to be _at least_ sixty years old. "Athena!" the Queen called. The woman responded by curtsying, her black hair acting as a veil. As she lifted her eyes to meet the Queen's, they appeared to be almost as dark as her hair.

"Yes, your highness?" Athena responded, politely.

"Would you be a doll and show this girl around?" Jay gestured toward Eleanor. "Start with the courtyard, yeah? Just make sure to keep out of the gardens. We just fired our gardener not too long ago and we haven't found a replacement yet. Meanwhile, our gardens have gone to hell in a hand-basket!" Queen Jay clasped a hand over her mouth as she burst into a fit of laughter.

Athena chuckled quietly to herself at the Queen's remark, placing a hand lightly onto Eleanor's back, guiding her to the courtyard. "Right this way, Miss," the servant instructed, leading the way.

"Have fun!" Jay called after them, waiting until the two girls were out of sight before sinking into the soft cushions of the living room couch. Eyes fluttering shut, Jay raised a hand and began massaging small circles into her temple.

After a moment of prolonged silence, the elderly man stepped forward and hesitated once more before clearing his throat.

"Oh!" Jay shot up from the couch, clutching her chest. As she caught sight of a familiar face, she felt relief wash over her. "Atticus! You frightened me, dear. What is it?" the Queen asked, collapsing back onto the cushions.

Atticus let out a low chuckle. "You rang?"

"Oh, yes!" Jay tilted her head backwards in order to lay eyes on the man. Adjusting to the strange view, the Queen took in the servant's upside-down form. His hair had grown whiter since they'd first hired him as their servant, but he wore it just as he had many years ago. The white strands had been skillfully slicked back without a single strand misplaced. The man blinked at the Queen, eyes an icy-blue; a heavyset of crows-feet acting as a reminder that the man was old and not getting any younger.

"How may I help you, my Queen?"

"Would you mind waking up Louis?" Jay asked, looking thoughtfully at Atticus. "Make sure he looks handsome before allowing him out of his room."

"What's the occasion, if you don't mind my asking," the elder questioned.

Jay flashed the servant a cheeky grin and replied, "Tell him that someone very special will be dining with us this evening."

"Who might this be?" Atticus pressed, curiosity swimming in his piercing, blue eyes.

"The brunette I had Athena escort to the courtyard, Eleanor." she explained, smile widening as she continued, "Troy and I have chosen her for Louis. She is to be his wife!"

"I see." He offered the Queen a warm smile before turning on his heel. "He'll be down shortly, your highness."

"You're the best!" Jay called after the white-haired man before re-positioning herself on the couch.

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A low groan escapes the sleeping Prince, the familiar _knock-knock-knocking_ at his bedroom door causing him to stir.

The knocking continued for what felt like hours in Louis' world, but only lasted a whole two minutes in reality. Suddenly, the knocking ceased and Louis peered out from beneath his duvet at the unopened door. He waited a whole minute, listening to the silence around him to ensure that he was free to fall back asleep. Louis relaxed into his mattress, falling back into a deep slumber as peace and quiet engulfed him.

Another knock, much louder this time, echoed throughout the room. Louis cursed under his breath, and pulled a pillow over his head as if that would block out the sound of his door being opened and heavy footsteps approaching his bed.

"Prince," a raspy voice muttered, and Louis didn't need to remove the pillow to know who had disturbed him.

"Go away, Atticus!" the Prince demanded, voice muffled by the mattress he was currently pressing his face into.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. Your mother wants you to get up and get dressed. Today is a big day for you."

"Everyday is a big day for me," Louis huffed. Once again, there was silence.

"Are you awake, sir?" Atticus observed the royal child before him with an eyebrow raised. "Prince, you must wake up now. It's your mother's orders."

The Prince shifted, rolling onto his back and pushing away the pillow. "Wh-What's going on?" he croaked, voice rough with sleep as his cerulean eyes found Atticus.

The elder servant watched the sleepy Prince, chuckling at the tufts of sandy-brown hair that were sticking up in several places atop the younger lad's head. "We have a guest," he paused, making sure he had the Prince's full-attention. "A young woman. She will be joining you for dinner."

Louis sat up. "Who is "she"?" he asked, shooting Atticus an expectant look.

"Her name is Eleanor, sir," he paused again. "Your parents have arranged for the two of you to be married. She is essentially, your fiancee."


	2. Chapter 1

_Summary: Arranged marriage (noun) - A marriage planned and agreed to by the families or guardians of the bride and groom, who have little or no say in the matter themselves._

_After a long search for the most beautiful woman in the land, England's royal family is preparing for a momentous occasion. The King and Queen have arranged for their son, Prince Louis, to be married within a month's time to Eleanor, a young Berkshire girl, born and raised. With no choice, the Prince agrees to the arrangement and soon decides that perhaps an arranged marriage isn't so bad after all. That is, until a certain curly-haired boy is hired as Windsor Castle's new gardener. _

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**Chapter 1:**

The dinner in which Eleanor was invited by the Queen had gone extremely well and it was fair to say, that for a while, Louis was no longer worried about his upcoming marriage. Over a meal of the finest lobster in all of England, a side-salad, and a small serving of tiramisu for dessert, Eleanor had managed to charm her way into each and every Tomlinson's heart.

First, the young brunette attempted to connect with the youngest Tomlinson's seated at the table, identical twins, Phoebe and Daisy.

"I don't suppose either of you still plays with dolls, do you?" Eleanor asked, bringing a forkful of the creamy dessert to her lips.

"Oh yes! We –," Phoebe started, eyes wide as her twin cut her off.

"We love dollies! We like dressing them up and –," Daisy continued before Phoebe returned the favor.

"And combing their pretty hair!" Phoebe finished, excitedly.

"Yeah!" Daisy nodded enthusiastically and then added, "Sometimes we like to cut all of their pretty hair off!"

Phoebe giggled and Eleanor smiled. The brunette shook her head in amusement, causing her hair to sway.

"Ooh, Eleanor! Your hair is pretty just like a doll!" Phoebe shouted in awe, pointing at the chocolate brown locks.

"Phoebe, inside voices," Jay reminded her child in a much softer tone.

The twin mouthed an apology before taking another bite of her tiramisu.

Eleanor's eyes followed the interaction between the mother and daughter.

"Thank you," the young woman commented, giving Phoebe a smile of gratitude.

Suddenly, Daisy spoke up, "Can we cut it?"

Eleanor looked up from her dessert and held up her pointer finger, signaling the girl to wait until her mouth was no longer full. Swallowing, the woman looked at Phoebe in confusion. "Cut what, love?"

Daisy tugged at a strand of her thin, blonde hair and answered, "Your hair."

The brunette's eyes widened at the insanity of the question. "I'm sorry, but I've been growing my hair for a very long time," she replied kindly, offering an apologetic smile.

The twins shared a look of disappointment, sinking further into their seats. Eleanor sensed their dissatisfaction almost immediately and within seconds of noticing their pained expressions, the young woman began to feel very guilty. An awkward silence fell around the royal family and their guest, but it didn't last long.

"But!" Eleanor started, determined to turn the twins' frowns upside-down. Phoebe was the first to sneak a glance at the guest and Daisy followed suit, hope swimming in their blue eyes. "I played with dolls too, when I was around your age. If I remember correctly, I packed them into a small box and stored the box on a shelf within my closet," the brunette explained. Daisy and Phoebe perked up in their chairs.

"Now, I'd say that I'm a little old to be playing with dolls, am I right?" Eleanor asked and the twins nodded their heads, furiously. The wavy-haired woman smiled. "Would either of you be interested in my old dolls? They've got way prettier hair than me," the brown-eyed girl said, tugging at a wavy strand of her own.

"Eleanoooor, please can we have your dollies?!" Daisy pleaded, poking out her bottom lip.

Phoebe mimicked her sister's expression, joining in, "Yeah, Eleanor! Can we have your dolls pleeeeaase?"

The young woman smiled and nodded. "Of course! I'll bring them over tomorrow, how does that sound?"

"Yay!" the twins cheered.

"Girls, what do you say?" the Queen questioned, raising a brow at both Phoebe and Daisy.

"Thank you, Eleanor!" the two shouted with wide grins.

"Daisy and Phoebe Tomlinson, what did I say about using inside voices?" the Queen reprimanded, giving her children a look of disapproval.

Despite Jay's criticism, the young blondes burst into a fit of giggles and Eleanor felt herself begin to laugh as well. It wasn't long before the rest of the table erupted in soft chuckles, all except for King Troy, who appeared to be sporting the ghost of a smile.

After dessert, King Troy retired for the night, leaving Louis to drown in a sea of estrogen. The Prince remained with the woman for a few minutes, messing with each of his sisters individually and sneaking glances at his fiancee from time to time. Between play-fights, the Prince was able to pick out a few things from the conversation being held across the grand table. Apparently, Eleanor adored children, knew how to transform a pigsty into a clean room, and was undecided on whether or not she wanted to wear her hair natural or spray it with sea salt in order to "give it a little something extra" for the fast-approaching matrimony.

It wasn't until his mother and fiancee began discussing seating arrangements that the Prince decided it was his turn to retire, growing tired of the girly conversations. Though his siblings, mainly the twins, protested his departure, Eleanor and Jay simply waved him off before carrying on with their planning. He couldn't have been more thankful.

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Leaves rustled as a cool, crisp breeze blew over the castle grounds and into the Prince's bedroom window. Stirring beneath his duvet, Louis' eyes opened as his sun-kissed skin was met with the morning air. He attempted to rub the sleep from his blue orbs before exhaling deeply and glancing over to his bedside table, where a clock told him that it was nearly seven o' clock a.m.

The Prince groaned, bringing his hands to his hair as he forced the fringe from his forehead. It had been three days since Eleanor had been hurled into his life and he'd been having trouble sleeping ever since.

The young woman had taken the life of royalty by storm, having already adapted to the mostly unwanted attention that the family received and had developed an almost instant connection with Louis. The King, Queen, and all of England were shocked by the speed and grace in which she molded herself into the Tomlinson family's way of living and Eleanor remained humble whenever anyone were to compliment her on that.

Despite all of the above, something within the young Prince wasn't quite alright with the idea of his arranged marriage to Eleanor and it was really starting to affect his ability to fall and stay asleep.

After a long stretch, Prince Louis stared up at the ceiling blankly as he allowed himself to worry about the upcoming event. The troubled thoughts clouded his mind, making him feel as though someone had placed cinder blocks onto both of his lungs. He bit his lip as hot tears threatened to spill onto his tanned cheeks, searching within himself for an answer as to why he was feeling this horrid about marrying someone as seemingly perfect as Eleanor.

As a single tear made its way down the majestic boy's cheek, a voice that the Prince was not familiar with traveled, just as the morning breeze had, into his bedroom window from the courtyard's gardens below.

The voice was deep, slightly raspy, and sang a song that Louis had never heard before. Trying to place a face to the voice coming from the courtyard, Louis relaxed a little before closing his eyes and listening closely.

_"When you were young, you were the king of carrot flowers._

_And how you built a tower tumbling through the trees,_

_In holy rattlesnakes that fell all around your feet._

_And your mom would stick a fork right into daddy's shoulder_  
_And dad would throw the garbage all across the floor_  
_As we would lay and learn what each other's bodies were for." _

Louis' brows furrowed as the beautiful voice began to grow quieter and further away and he quickly shot out of bed. When he reached the large window, the voice had faded completely as he looked out over the courtyard. Scanning the area, he noticed a basket of gardening tools placed beside an overgrown flowerbed and several clumps of grass that had been pulled up at the roots. The Prince stood in the window and waited, hoping to lay eyes on whomever's voice had put an end to Louis' tears.

Sighing, Louis began to grow impatient as more and more minutes passed and the owner of the soothing voice did not appear.

"What are you looking at?" Eleanor asked and Louis jumped.

Spinning around to face her, Louis replied, "Jesus, El! You can't sneak up on me like that!"

Eleanor giggled. She wrapped her arms around Louis' neck as she muttered, "Sorry, dear." Kissing the Prince's cheek, she smiled before peeking over his shoulder at whatever he had been looking at. "What was out there?" she asked, returning her gaze to Louis.

"Out where? Oh! Erm, nothing. I just thought I heard something, but it's gone now. So, yeah," Prince Louis finished, forcing a smile.

"Alright." Eleanor nodded in understanding, "Well, I made breakfast. Eggs Benedict is on the table and ready when you are."

Louis smiled at the gesture and pecked the brunette's lips. "Sounds delicious. I'll meet you down there, alright?"

Eleanor smiled and hurried out of the room, leaving Louis by himself. The blue-eyed boy ran a hand through his hair before turning to give the courtyard a final once-over.

Looking over the gardens, the Prince gasped as his eyes fell upon the flowerbed from before. The flowerbed, had been completely rid of the ugly weeds that once filled its soil, the clumps of grass had been removed from the area surrounding it, and the basket full of gardening tools had been moved as well. Frantically, Louis searched for someone, anyone, within the gardens and grew frustrated when no one appeared.

"Lou, are you coming down?" Eleanor called from the bottom of the stairs.

Louis frowned and shouted, "I'll be right there!"

Reluctantly, Louis tore himself from the window and moved over to his bedroom door. The smell of Eggs Benedict made his mouth water as he stepped out of his room and into the hallway. Pushing aside the nagging feeling that the mysterious voice had ignited, Louis trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he was met by a basket of gardening tools and a pair of sparkling green eyes.


	3. Chapter 2, Pt 1

_Summary: Arranged marriage (noun) - A marriage planned and agreed to by the families or guardians of the bride and groom, who have little or no say in the matter themselves._

_After a long search for the most beautiful woman in the land, England's royal family is preparing for a momentous occasion. The King and Queen have arranged for their son, Prince Louis, to be married within a month's time to Eleanor, a young Berkshire girl, born and raised. With no choice, the Prince agrees to the arrangement and soon decides that perhaps an arranged marriage isn't so bad after all. That is, until a certain curly-haired boy is hired as Windsor Castle's new gardener. _

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**Chapter 2, Pt. 1:**

Walking into the kitchen, Louis took a quick glance around the busy room. Athena, was the first to catch his eye. The dark-haired woman was at the kitchen sink, scrubbing a pan vigorously. Queen Jay was next, standing beside the servant and advising that she "scrub with a little more elbow grease."

Moving on, Louis' gaze fell upon Phoebe and Daisy, who were sat on the kitchen floor. Surrounding the youngest Tomlinson's, was a small pile of doll hair, a pair of play scissors, and at least a dozen dolls that were either completely bald or weren't far from it. There was only one doll left with a full head of long, dark brown hair and it seemed to be the center of an argument. Nearby, Fizz was having her hair braided by Lottie, who was trying unsuccessfully to make the twin's share the doll.

Finally, there was Eleanor who had wrapped an arm around one of Louis' and was leading him toward the table. The table had been set prior to his arrival with plates, forks, and a serving of the Eggs Benedict was already situated on each plate.

Louis smiled at the arrangement and pecked the brunette's forehead. "It looks lovely, babe."

Eleanor grinned, triumphantly.

Tearing his gaze from the exquisite meal before him, something else caught Louis' eye. Seated at the table, was a boy that the Prince did not recognize.

"Who are you?" asked Prince Louis, studying the stranger with furrowed brows.

The boy lifted his gaze and pushed aside a few curly locks, allowing his green eyes to meet Louis' blue. It was then, that Louis noticed a bright yellow dandelion stuffed into the younger lad's curls, just above his left ear. "Harold Styles, your majesty," he replied, standing before the Prince.

The boy wore a white t-shirt that had been littered with dirt and grass stains and hung loosely from his thin fame. Protruding from the lowest v-neck that the Prince had ever seen, were two necklaces resting lightly upon a notable pair of collarbones. His jeans were a dark blue that had faded at the knees and he had on a pair of white converse that looked as if they'd walked the Trail of Tears.._twice_. Beside the beat up sneakers, was a basket full of gardening tools and within moments, Louis made the connection.

"He's the new gardener, " the Queen interjected and Harold bowed quickly before returning to his seat.

Louis nodded, eyeing the boy.

Taking advantage of the break from chaos, Eleanor spoke up. "If everyone would like to be seated, breakfast is served," she announced before seating herself. Looking up at Louis, she motioned for him to sit next to her.

Situating himself beside his fiancee, the Prince found himself sitting directly across from the green-eyed gardener.

The rest of the room followed their example, all except for Phoebe and Daisy who were still fighting over their doll. When Jay saw this, she smiled politely at Eleanor before beginning the countdown. "Daisy and Phoebe Tomlinson, five.." the Queen paused, watching them with an expectant expression.

The twin's looked at one another and giggled, but stopped suddenly when another number was called out.

"Four," Jay raised her brows as if to say "_you don't want to be anywhere but this table when I get to number one_." Clearing her throat, Queen Jay continued with, "Three."

Phoebe and Daisy exchanged nervous glances and soon enough, the twin's had dropped the doll and were hurrying over to their seats.

"Thank you," Jay said, smiling pleasantly.

Once everyone was seated, Athena placed a glass pitcher of orange juice and a small tray of buttered scones at the center of the table. Standing there for a moment, she chuckled along with everyone at the Queen's countdown before giving a polite curtsy and leaving the room.

"Shall we say a quick prayer?" asked Queen Jay.

The rest of the table nodded, awkwardly.

"Alright, let's join hands," Jay instructed, holding both Eleanor's hand with her right and Lottie's hand with her left.

Slowly, everyone joined hands and bowed their heads.

"Dear Heavenly Father," the Queen started.

Keeping his head down, Louis listened to his mother's prayer. As usual, she thanked the invisible man for their food, begged him to watch over friends and family, and finished with an enthusiastic, "Amen!"

"Amen," everyone repeated, lifting their heads and forks.

Harold's eyes were focused on his plate, shoulders slouched as he worked at his meal. Bringing the fork to his lips, he leaned in to the forkful and parted his pink lips. Slowly, his mouth grew wider and his tongue stuck out as he consumed the bit of eggs.

Louis took a bite of his own breakfast, eyeing the gardener's odd way of eating as he did so. He watched the younger boy's tongue poke out when approached by a mouthful of eggs and then disappear once the two met. Taking a swig of his orange juice, the Prince nearly choked when the curly-haired boy leaned with his tongue into his food, only to have it fall back onto his plate.

Immediately, Harold's green orbs flickered up to meet the Prince, who hadn't looked away fast enough. The gardener's face burned at the realization that he'd been watched.

Meanwhile, Eleanor was patting Louis' back and the Queen looked on worriedly.

Letting out a final cough, Prince Louis smiled at everyone and said, "Juice went down the wrong pipe, s'all. I'm fine now." Quickly, he leaned over, brushing a wavy strand from his fiancee's face and pecking her cheek.

Daisy and Phoebe giggled and Lottie rolled her eyes, but eventually everyone went back to what they were doing prior to the outburst. Everyone except for Harold, who was playing with his food rather than eating it, eyes still locked on the Prince.

"Eleanor, this is delicious. Well done," the Queen raved, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"I'm glad you like it," said the young brunette as she reached for the glass pitcher. Carefully, she poured herself another glass of the orange liquid, checking that everyone's glass was full before returning the pitcher to the table. Spotting an empty glass, Eleanor cleared her throat. "Harold, is it? Would you like another glass of orange juice?"

"Sure," Harold replied, holding out his glass. From beneath a few stray curls, the gardener watched as the juice was poured. "Thank you," he muttered, bringing the glass to his lips.

"Harold, dear. Tell us about yourself. Do you live far from here?" Queen Jay asked, biting into a scone.

Louis looked up from his plate.

The gardener set his glass down and shook his head, his curls bouncing slightly. "No, not far at all. I live about fifteen minutes away, actually."

"Oh, that's not far at all. Is it a nice place?"

"Yeah, I like it. It's not nearly as beautiful as this," the boy explained, looking around the extravagant kitchen, "but I like it. It's small, easy to manage. It's sort of in the middle of nowhere, so I don't get bothered by much of anything except for a pesky squirrel or two."

The Queen smiled. "That sounds lovely. Sometimes I wish we could live more privately. I think we all do," she spoke with a hint of sadness in her voice, but her eyes still sparkled. "So, do you live alone?"

Harold nodded.

Queen Jay raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised. "I'll be damned. A handsome boy like you without a lady on his arm," she paused, shaking her head, "that's a sin."

The boy chuckled, his cheeks turning from pale to pink. "Maybe it is," he shrugged.

"It is! You should get out there and start looking. There aren't too many good ones left. We got lucky with this one," Jay teased, lightly cupping Eleanor's cheek.

Eleanor beamed.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, still using his fork to maneuver what was left of his breakfast around his plate.

"In fact, if you ever need help finding the right woman, my husband and I would love to help. We could make an announcement just as we did for Louis here and -," the Queen was cut off by her son.

"Mum, will you quit interrogating him? You're putting the poor lad on the spot," the Prince exclaimed.

"Nonsense! Am I making you uncomfortable, Harold?" Jay asked.

Harold shook his head, "I'm fine, really."

"See?" the Queen shot Louis a knowing look. "So, what do you say? Would you like a match made by royalty?"

**{To be continued…}**


End file.
